Technical Adviser, HIV Prevention Full-Time

Background Information

Mozambique is one of the most affected countries of the world, with a 13.2% national prevalence among 15-49-year-old adults and with approximately 2.1 million people living with HIV in a country of about 29 million. Mozambique belongs to the five countries in the world with the highest numbers of new HIV infections.

In 2015, the Government of Mozambique has approved the fourth National Strategic AIDS Plan for 2016-2020, and one of its priority programmatic areas is combination HIV prevention. However, the country does not have a detailed HIV prevention plan to guide the various national response actors in this crucial area. This post will support the CNCS in its combination HIV prevention activities and in the coordination with the public sector, the private sector, civil society and the partners.

On the other hand, at the strategic prevention framework level, there is no strategy or consolidated operational plan for HIV prevention yet, neither a national results framework with the main prevention pillars, sub-national HIV prevention targets. In addition to this, the coordination structure lacks a specific coordination group for HIV prevention and the respective active thematic sub-groups, focussing on adolescents, young women, key populations, among other groups, and the absence of a national and sub-national results framework refers the groups to an activities orientation and not an impact result orientation.

Thus, the HIV prevention Advisor will be the main specialist in the combination HIV prevention area and will be responsible for the general technical management and prevention activities of the national response to HIV/AIDS. The Advisor will also be responsible for providing technical knowledge in cross-cutting HIV prevention approaches, including the involvement of civil society and the communities. The Advisor will provide technical assistance and will act as manager of a variety of prevention activities/initiatives and as resource person for the CNCS team.

Organizational Setting

The Advisor will provide specialised technical assistance to the SE-CNCS and the HIV Prevention Reference Group in the combination HIV prevention area, particularly in the design and preparation of the HIV Prevention Plan, as well as support its implementation and monitoring, and assistance in the development of prevention packages for the various target groups. As HIV prevention Advisor, he/she shall:

• Work on the implementation and as HIV prevention specialist;
• Lead the preparation of the HIV/AIDS Prevention Plan, as well as its implementation and monitoring;
• Provide technical assistance to the functioning of the HIV/AIDS Prevention Reference Group;
• Facilitate the acquisition of technical skills and competences by the SE-CNCS technicians and other HIV prevention response actors at all levels;
• Support the SE-CNCS in the design of a national results framework for the HIV prevention area;
• Provide support to the Provincial Secretariats of the SE-CNCS for the creation of the respective HIV Prevention Groups;
• Support the preparation of case studies and/or success stories related to interventions in the HIV prevention area.

Job Purpose:

The Advisor will be supervised by and report directly to the Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation Director of the SE-CNCS.

Main Tasks & Responsibilities

• Support the preparation of the HIV Prevention Plan;
• Improve the technical and programmatic leadership of the combination HIV prevention;
• Provide support with technical information to the preparation of the annual prevention plans of the public and private sectors and civil society and ensure that they are aligned with the PEN IV and the HIV Prevention Plan priorities and harmonized between the various actors;
• Take the lead in the design of new prevention activities and ensure that they are aligned with the PEN IV and the HIV Prevention Plan priorities;
• Carry out regular field visits to review the implementation of the prevention programmes and interact with the beneficiaries. On the basis of the information collected during the field visit, share the results and recommendations with the SE-CNCS team to strengthen the preventive interventions;
• Review the performance reports of the response actors in the prevention area;
• Be up-to-date regarding new research and research results regarding the epidemic in Mozambique; summarise the findings and implications and share them with the SE-CNCS team and other HIV prevention actors; provide advice on appropriate changes in the prevention plan;
• Coordinate the Governmental HIV prevention packages with the prevention plan of the private sector, civil society and partners;
• Support the Secretariat of the HIV Prevention Reference Group to boost the functioning of the Reference Group.
• Review the prevention architecture in all provinces and districts with a high incidence of the epidemic.
• Design the plan to map the HIV prevention services and identify the existing service provision platforms for the various interventions and packages and identify the overlap of implementation partners.

Qualifications and Experience

Education:

Master’s Degree in Public Health, Epidemiology, Demography, Sociology, Anthropology, Development or another related area.

Work Experience:

• At least ten (10) years relevant work experience in the development of HIV prevention products to support their day-to-day and long-term implementation, as well as in monitoring the results of HIV prevention programmes involving diverse and multiple actors;
• Proven work experience with public institutions and civil society organizations, particularly at community level;
• Proven experience in programme design, strategic planning, programme management and implementation in the context of low-income countries;
• Proven experience in carrying out gender analyses in the prevention programmes.

Language skills:

• Fluency in Portuguese and in English spoken and written.

Required Competencies

Required Specific Knowledge, Competences and Abilities

• Comprehensive knowledge of the main technical and substantive issues related to HIV prevention and community-based initiatives;
• Comprehensive knowledge of the design, implementation and monitoring/evaluation of public health plans/programmes/strategies in general and of HIV prevention in particular;
• Familiarity with the National Strategic Plan and national policies and guidelines.

Skills and Abilities

• Excellent interpersonal skills, tact and diplomacy to establish and maintain a range of high-level and operational contacts regarding HIV and AIDS programmes with governmental, civil society and private sector circles;
• Proven capacity to work in team and interagency environments, and to guide others (mentoring);
• Strong management and analytical skills, to prepare strategies, develop and implement effective HIV prevention programmes/plans in the context of the national response to HIV and AIDS;
• Proven capacity to interpret the HIV prevention guidelines and directives;
• Proven capacity to organize and present information and prepare clear, concise and well written documents;
• Proven computer literacy, including ease and ability to use word processing programmes, e-mail, spreadsheets and presentation software, and familiarity with the internet;
• The command of Portuguese and good knowledge of English is required.

Previous Performance

• The SE-CNCS will verify the references of the selected applicants:
• The verification of references will be done for applicants satisfying the minimum requirements in terms of education and experience.